The Detroit Red Wings will get a glimpse of how the next wave stacks up against comparable competition over the coming days.
The annual prospects tournament runs through Monday in Traverse City, and features the Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs. The unbalanced schedule means there won’t be a championship game this year, and the Wings are only scheduled to play three times (Friday vs. the Blue Jackets, Saturday vs. the Stars and Monday vs. the Leafs), but there’ll still be interesting storylines to track.
More:Detroit Red Wings lineup predictions for 2022-23 NHL season opener
Main training camp begins Sept. 22, when prospects will mingle with veterans for five days of camp leading into exhibition season. Until then, here are focal points to watch among the younger set:
Eye on the pipes
When the Wings traded up to draft 6-foot-6 Sebastian Cossa at No. 15 in 2021, it signaled confidence the team had found its goaltender of the future. Cossa, 19, spent the past three seasons starring with the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League (he posted a 1.93 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 19 playoff games last spring). He cracked Team Canada’s roster for the World Juniors last December and again when the pandemic forced its postponement till August, but both times, he was passed over as the starter. It’s on Cossa to convince management he should have a job in Grand Rapids this season.
GOALIE OF THE FUTURE?Sebastian Cossa believes he’s ready to play in Wings’ organization. Here’s why
Edvinsson’s edge
Simon Edvinsson should dominate this event. The 6-6 defenseman, drafted at No. 6 in 2021, recorded 19 points in 44 games for Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League, averaged around 20 minutes a game, and was named a finalist for the SHL’s Rookie of the Year Award. He had a goal an an assist in six games in helping Sweden win the bronze medal at the World Juniors. Edvinsson, 19, is 207 pounds, so he’s able to hold his own against men even as he is still growing into his body
More:How holding World Junior Championship in August benefits Detroit Red Wings
Sizing up the rest
Keeping on the topic of big men, 6-8 forward Elmer Soderblom (No. 159, 2019) is also part of the cast. He led Frölunda with 21 goals in his first full season in the SHL, and led the club’s under-21 players with 33 points. He and defenseman Albert Johansson (No. 60, 2019) are vying for spots in Grand Rapids as they get started on their North American careers. Johansson posted 25 points in 52 games with Farjestad, plus eight points in 19 playoff games to help his club claim the 2022 SHL Championship. Other prospects include defenseman Donovan Sebrango (No. 63, 2020), who already has appeared in 96 games with the Griffins and is coming off helping Canada win gold at the World Juniors, and forward Cross Hanas (No. 55, 2020), who had 86 points in 63 games with the Portland Winterharwks in the Western Hockey League.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, On the Clock: Detroit Red Wings: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.